Your Views

Debbie Schiffelbein

Saturday

Sep 8, 2012 at 12:01 AMSep 8, 2012 at 5:00 AM

Allow fundraisers to help others

My name is Arthur Green. I am a World War II veteran. I thought we were fighting for freedom, to raise money for our charities, research, underprivileged and so on. But in the Aug. 13 Telegram, there was an article about Poker Runs and Texas Hold'em and what was legal and not legal. I have been a member of the Eagles Lodge for more than 40 years. We, as Eagles, have used several different ways to raise money for all kinds of research. But when this paper came out, I find that we were breaking the law.

At our state convention last June, all of the lodges in Kansas raised up in the thousands of dollars for our charities, some like KU Medical, Alzheimer's research, cancer research, diabetes research, just to name a few.

I was in charge of Texas Hold'em, I asked for a donation, for I could not charge. I was asked how I took the money. I said we have a pan there to put money in, it says donation, I never know who puts in and how much, I count it and turn it in to the bartender, she rings it up as donation. This year I was planning to give to St. Catherine Cancer and Finney County Sheriff's Posse. But since it is illegal to raise money for charities, they will not get any money from us this year. Do you know that the Eagles Lodge is the only club in Garden City that donates to the Finney County Fire Department? Years ago we started letting them have the lodge rent-free to hold CPR classes free of charge to whomever would like to take it.

At our last Hold'em game, I was asked what about bingo? I said I can remember when it was illegal, and all the newspapers read let's made bingo legal and keep Grandma off the street. I said let's make our Poker Runs and Texas Hold'em and our fundraisers legal and keep Grandpa off the street.

You know, I am past 86, I do not know how many more years I will live, but I do enjoy playing cards and raising money for research with my friends. But I don't like to break the law. You know, in Tuesday's Telegram there were ordinances printed and their articles. One as follows, Section 1.1. Smoking Definitions (access point means the area within 50-foot radius outside of any doorway, open window or air intake leading into a building). I have seen people standing outside of a business less than 20 feet from the door, smoking. Why do our city and county law enforcement let this happen, they do not raise money for any charity and they let them go and, according to your ordinance, they are breaking the law.

I cannot do this all by myself, we all need to write our legislators and try to get things changed. I plan to send copies of this to mine and the governor. It may not work, but at least I know that I tried.

An old man,

ARTHUR GREEN,

Holcomb

Costly water toll in plant expansion

Where does the protection of the Ogallala Aquifer begin? The water level in this earth, once lowered, takes years to recharge. A thousand-gallon drilled well uses a casing that is full of holes to let the water in, surrounded with sand, gravel and water. As the water is pumped out, it forms a funnel and all waters flow toward and all around that funnel until all water production stops, at which time the producer will drill a deeper well. This system will continue until all groundwater is gone.

The electrical power generation will not be the problem. The primary reason against Sunflower's Plant 1 expansion is water usage.

When Plant 2 is built, it will demand nearly two times or more water than used in Plant 1. When these plants are in use, three times the amount, or more, water will be a pulled from the Ogallala Aquifer. The water demand for the plant is based on a 1,000-gallon well for each plant, three plants at 60 minutes per hour (180,000) times 24 hours a day (4,320,000) times 365 days per year (1,576,800,000). This will not show up for a few years and by the time it does, there will have been a lot of irrigation farmers' wells required lowering to produce water, and indications are that this has already started. There are many requirements for water. Trees, flowers, gardens, yards also require water, as do people, animals, crops and many other uses; we do not need any increase in water from any more users. Since we, as Kansas residents, cannot allow this plant to be built as another state will benefit from our loss. If another state wants the electricity, let them provide a place in that state.

The Why Not Club,

HAROLD STARR and LEE MESSENGER,

Garden City

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